I wish you’d seen Minnie Foster when she wore a white dress with blue ribbons and stood up there in the choir and sang. (a look around the room) Oh, I wish I’d come over here once in a while! That was a crime! That was a crime! Who’s going to punish that?

We think she was going to—knot it.

Peters—look at it! It’s neck! Look at its neck! It’s all—other side to. MRS PETERS: Somebody—wrung—its—neck.

I could’ve come. I stayed away because it weren’t cheerful—and that’s why I ought to have come. I—I’ve never liked this place. Maybe because it’s down in a hollow and you don’t see the road. I dunno what it is, but it’s a lonesome place and always was. I wish I had come over to see Minnie Foster sometimes. I can see now—(shakes her head)

MRS PETERS: (examining the cage) Why, look at this door. It’s broke. One hinge is pulled apart. MRS HALE: (looking too) Looks as if someone must have been rough with it.

Why, I don’t know whether she did or not—I’ve not been here for so long. There was a man around last year selling canaries cheap, but I don’t know as she took one; maybe she did. She used to sing real pretty herself.

Mrs Peters, look at this one. Here, this is the one she was working on, and look at the sewing! All the rest of it has been so nice and even. And look at this! It’s all over the place! Why, it looks as if she didn’t know what she was about!

I don’t know as there’s anything so strange, our takin’ up our time with little things while we’re waiting for them to get the evidence.

quilt it or just knot it?

There was a gun in the house. He says that’s what he can’t understand.

like to talk more of that a little later. I want to get the lay of things upstairs now. (He goes to the left, where three steps lead to a stair door.)

It never seemed a very cheerful place.

Well, women are used to worrying over trifles.

Nothing here but kitchen things

so I said I had come in to see if John wanted to put in a telephone, and at that she started to laugh

she stopped and looked at me—scared,

‘I didn’t wake up’, she said after him. We must ‘a looked as if we didn’t see how that could be, for after a minute she said, ‘I sleep sound’.

Well, I was surprised; she didn’t ask me to come up to the stove, or to set down, but just sat there, not even looking at me, so I said, ‘I want to see John.’

Well, she looked queer

Oh—yesterday. When I had to send Frank to Morris Center for that man who went crazy—I want you to know I had my hands full yesterday. I knew you could get back from Omaha by today and as long as I went over everything here myself—

Somebody should have been left here yesterday.

Trifles